Alain Vigneault said that the Canucks aren’t sure if it’s “neck-related or concussion-related.” Ballard is dealing with headaches but Vancouver is unsure of the root cause, so he’ll be out until the team’s doctors figure that out.

As Woodley points out, the line between concussion and neck-related injuries blurred in a high-profile way with Sidney Crosby’s neck issues, so it’s not surprising that the Canucks are handling this situation with kid gloves. The bigger surprise to some might be that Ballard’s a more prominent piece of the puzzle in Vancouver after being a fairly routine (and expensive) healthy scratch during the 2010-11 season and playoffs.